Will Johnson, Canadian U-20s See Mixed Results in Chivas Cup Action
Fire forward Will Johnson started for the Canadian Under-20 Men's National Team in two of its first three contests in the prestigious Chivas Cup youth tournament this weekend in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Canadians had a rough introduction to the tournament, falling to Tigres 4-0 in Saturday's opener and 2-1 to Morelia the following day. Johnson went the distance in the first two contests for Canada and registered one assist, his corner kick in the 4th minute against Morelia leading to defender Nana Attakora-Gyan's header that gave the "Maple Leafs" their first tally of the competition and a short-lived 1-0 lead in the match. Johnson earned a well-deserved break from Monday's contest against Club San Luis, in which Canada breezed to a 6-0 victory. Canada continued its brutal Group One schedule this morning against tournament hosts Chivas (result not known as of press time) and will finish up tomorrow against Italian giants Inter Milan. The four group winners will advance to the semifinals this Friday, Jan. 13, with the victors of those contests squaring off in Saturday's Chivas Cup final.
There will be no rest for Johnson following Canada's run at the Chivas Cup, as the 18-year-old striker will join Canada's full senior side at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, where the "Maple Leafs" will conduct their first camp of 2006 from Jan. 8-20. After being named to the 19-man roster for the camp, the native of suburban Woodridge, IL, will be in line to make his second "cap" for Head Coach Frank Yallop's side when Canada takes on the United States in both teams' 2006 debuts on Sunday, Jan. 22 at Torero Stadium in San Diego, CA (7:00 p.m. CT).
One Week Down for Jaqua and Rolfe at U.S. National Team Camp
The training is going fast and furious for Fire forwards Nate Jaqua and Chris Rolfe and the rest of the players in the U.S. Men's National Team camp, as the 28-man-group has now gone through nine practices since starting camp last Wednesday at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. Jaqua put his stamp on the first intra-squad scrimmage of the camp on Sunday by scoring the lone goal in the 60-minute match, giving his Blue squad the 1-0 victory. Jaqua, Rolfe and the rest of the campers are preparing for a series of friendlies that will take place in January and February, but the ultimate goal of the players is to earn one of the few available spots on U.S. Manager Bruce Arena's 23-man roster that will represent the United States at the FIFA World Cup Finals in Germany this summer. The 24-year-old Jaqua will be looking to make his first career appearance for the senior Men's National Team in the upcoming friendlies, while the 22-year-old Rolfe hopes to build upon his first "cap," which he earned in a substitute role in the U.S.'s last match, a 1-1 draw at Scotland on Nov. 12, 2005.
Despite Draw and Loss, Monarcas Morelia Still Alive in 2006 InterLiga Tournament
The Fire's Mexican First Division sister club, Monarcas Morelia, is down but not out in the 2006 InterLiga Tournament after gaining just one point from its first two matches in Group A play. The "Monarchs" stumbled out of the gates in their first contest last Thursday against Monterrey at La Joya Stadium in La Joya, TX, but Morelia forward Rafael Marquez' pair of second half goals, including the equalizer in the 86th minute, allowed Morelia to escape with a 2-2 draw and a share of the points. Against Pachuca on Sunday at Pizza Park Park in Frisco, TX, it appeared that Marquez would come to the rescue against after his 71st minute penalty kick squared the game at 1-1, but a stoppage time tally from Pachuca's Richard Nunez resulted in a 2-1 loss and a tumble to last place in the Group A standings.
There's still hope for Morelia to reach second place in its group and secure a spot in the tournament's finals, but for that to happen they must first defeat Veracruz (1-1-0, 3 pts.) in their Group A finale this Wednesday, Jan. 11 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA (8:00 p.m. CT) before hoping for a Monterrey victory over Pachuca in the nightcap of the Group A doubleheader. The finals of InterLiga 2006, the qualifying tournament that determines Mexico's two representatives in the prestigious Copa Libertadores, will take place at The Home Depot Center this Sunday, Jan. 15 at 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. CT. All InterLiga 2006 contests can be seen live on Fox Sports en Español.
Fire Enters 2006 MLS SuperDraft With Six Selections
The Chicago Fire will enter the 2006 MLS SuperDraft with six of the draft's 48 selections, including one first round pick, the 10th overall selection. The 2006 MLS SuperDraft will be held on Friday, January 20, 2006 in Philadelphia, PA in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The Fire currently holds four slots in the draft's second round - the 14th, 19th, 20th and 22nd overall selections - but will be forced to hand over one of those picks to FC Dallas to complete last year's draft day deal that sent goalkeeper Henry Ring to Dallas in exchange for the 29th overall selection in last year's draft, which Chicago used to take eventual 2005 Gatorade Rookie of the Year finalist and 2005 Fire/Budweiser Golden Boot winner Chris Rolfe. Chicago will round out the 2006 MLS SuperDraft with its natural third round (34th overall) and fourth round (46th overall) selections.
Season Tickets for Inaugural Season at Bridgeview Stadium on Sale
The Fire has kicked off its public on-sale for 2006 Season Tickets at Bridgeview Stadium, giving fans the opportunity to choose their seats for the club's inaugural season at the new, world-class facility, located on the corner of 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview. Fans can pick out their seats by checking out the Bridgeview seating chart in the Ticket section at www.Chicago-Fire.com. For more information on the public on-sale and the Bridgeview Stadium project, please call 1-888-MLS-FIRE or visit www.Chicago-Fire.com.
Get Them While They're Hot! Club Seat Selection Process at Bridgeview Stadium Underway
Club seat selection for the Fire's inaugural season at Bridgeview Stadium for all current season ticket holders is now underway and the process is off to a flying start, with more than 70% of the three club sections already sold. Located at mid-field on the stadium's East side, the Fire's club seats offer the unique combination of the best sightlines for exciting Fire soccer and other special events and are perfect for entertaining clients, closing business deals, recognizing employees, or simply relaxing and enjoying the game. For a full list of all the benefits Bridgeview Stadium Club Seating has to offer, please contact the Fire's Premium Seating Department at 312-705-7230 or visit www.Chicago-Fire.com for more details.
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